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ABC Condemns Celebrity Boxing Match Between Riddick Bowe and Lamar Odom

Published 09/19/2021, 12:55 PM EDT

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54-year-old Riddick Bowe is one of the many veteran champions who have confirmed their in-ring return, raising eyebrows and concern in several people. Following the footsteps of Mike Tyson, Roy Jones Jr, Julio Chavez Jr, and Evander Holyfield, former champion Bowe will come back to the ropes after a long hiatus.

He will reportedly face former NBA champion Lamar Odom, who already has some experience in the ring. Aged 41, Odom knocked out pop-celebrity Aaron Carter in June in a non-traditional boxing matchup.

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Now, he has a chance to upgrade his in-ring resume by going against an elite in Bowe. However, the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) sounded off about the legend returning to action. The commission didn’t discourage the idea but detailed their opinion on reviving a few medical laws.

Reporter Kevin Iole turned to social media and revealed ABC’s official statement regarding the entire scenario. Per President Michael Mazzulli, this revision of laws will ensure fighters’ medical safety who are already over 40 years of age. Given the dangers of boxing that can even cause death, this new guideline can block several retired athletes from coming back to flow.

They have set 7 primary tasks on this new mission.

The prime aspect of bringing this change can be Evander Holyfield’s horrific return against Vitor Belfort at a Triller PPV on September 11. 58-year-old Holyfield came in as a replacement to Oscar De La Hoya under short notice.

Although he seemed to be in decent shape, ‘The Real Deal’ fell short in-ring and got knocked out in the first round. Hence, Bowes’ plans of returning can go through extreme scrutiny, and only after passing all the parameters can ‘Big Daddy’ lace up the gloves once again.

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Riddick Bowe vs Lamar Odom- is it happening?

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According to TMZ, Odom vs Bowe will happen at the James L. King Center in Miami on October 2. The fight will be available live on FITE TV. So it’s safe to believe that the event is still relevant. But the recent revelations regarding ABC can bring in a surprise call at any moment. A portion of the audience would still want to see the fight happen.

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Riddick Bowe, 43-1 is one of the most decorated heavyweight champions of all time. Only Evander Holyfield could beat him in pro-chain. But Bowe had beaten ‘The Real Deal’ too. That means that ‘Big Daddy’ has actually vanquished every person he has faced. All of these call for a stellar retired life. But Bowe might have eyed that hefty payday or maybe he still has the itch to compete.

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Written by:

Raj Sarkar

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A senior boxing writer at EssentiallySports, Raj Sarkar is a mass media graduate who is currently pursuing his master’s degree in broadcast journalism. In addition to his current role, he has worked with the MMA team at EssentiallySports and has interviewed prominent fighters such as Ritu Phogat and 'The Red King' Rory MacDonald. He combined his bachelor's degree with his adoration for combat sports and has a combined 2000 plus bylines in MMA and boxing over the last two years.
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